


Forever, in the moment

by chibinocho



Series: The Moments [4]
Category: The Lost Future of Pepperharrow, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
Genre: Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Requited Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:53:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibinocho/pseuds/chibinocho
Summary: Mori, Thaniel and Six make their way home from Japan and Thaniel finally gets to keep Mori.Set during Lost Future of Pepperharrow before the epilogue.
Relationships: Keita Mori/Thaniel Steepleton
Series: The Moments [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745614
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	Forever, in the moment

**Author's Note:**

> Finishing off this series finally and sorry for the delay. But everyone loves a happy ending right? Especially one with shameless loving smut. 
> 
> The S.S. Ophir was also a real ship and supposedly the height of luxury for its time.

It didn’t surprise Thaniel at all that Mori had the finest suite of rooms on the upper decks of the enormous steam liner the SS Ophir for their journey back to England. But whether that suite was paid for by Mori himself, the British, the Duke of Choshu, the Ministry, Kuroda or they all simply agreed en masse that Mori would be better off out of Japan and so all chipped in for an apologetic luxury ride back to London, Thaniel wasn’t sure. One thing he was sure of though, if no one else wanted Mori then Thaniel was damn sure he was going to claim him and keep him. 

Although he did feel even more like a fish out of water than he did in Japan. The suite was clearly meant for royalty and the general theme was an overwhelming, suffocating explosion of velvet, silk, satin and silver. Six too looked like she didn’t like being in this picture of grandiose luxury, kneeling sulkily on a silk damask chair that probably cost more than Thaniel made in a year. She was staring morosely through the porthole at the departing sight of Japan, tugging uncomfortably at the overly fussy pinafore a gushing Mrs Vaulker had thrust her in before they departed the legation.

"You feeling alright, petal?" Thaniel asked heavily, coming close to her without actually touching. Six drew in a deep huffing sigh, shrugged and yanked one of fussy little ribbons off her dress.

“Did you put my trunk safely in my room?” she asked suddenly. Six’s sudden and violent protest about leaving Japan had been swiftly mollified by a week-long lightbulb purchasing campaign in the company of a devoted-Fukuoka who had become something of Six's personal equerry. This had been swiftly followed by the unexpected delivery to the legation of a large, handsome black leather trunk, which not only consisted of the traditional storage being for clothes and necessities - not that Six had ever cared what she wore as long as it didn’t get in her way - but two top shelves of the trunk lifted up when the lid was open, displaying two deep trays, each tray lined in black velvet and carefully divided into numbered compartments, each compartment able to contain items - such as lightbulbs - of varying sizes. Thaniel had exclaimed surprise but Mori had shown no surprise at all and Thaniel knew that - even without his clairvoyance - Mori still knew the perfect apology gift for Six.

Six herself had appeared to have accepted the trunk as her natural due, however for much of the following afternoon during their daily walk, she noticeably held Mori’s watch chain at a much shorter length.

Thaniel nodded.

“Yes, Petal, it’s all set up for you. Your generator is also there too, and the operating manuals from Dr Carrow.” It felt odd to be calling Grace by her title and even more odd that his daughter had been given parting gifts by his ex-wife. Although Thaniel suspected Grace possibly had forgiven him most things when he continued to address her as Dr Carrow in the dispatches rather than the ‘Mrs Matsumoto’ favoured by the delegation staff and the Ministry.

Six ripped another ribbon off the dress and handed it to Katsu who was happily curled around her neck and shoulders like a mechanical shawl. She then shimmied off the chair and strode purposefully across the lounging area of the suite. She stopped before the low serving table to swipe a small plate of biscuits, cakes and crystallised fruit from the large silver serving platter and headed to the corner door, which held the small bedroom Six had claimed as her own for the journey. Once she had ascertained that Thaniel was indeed telling the truth about her equipment, she poked her head out of the door, told him that she would be at least two hours - maybe more and she was still a little angry with him about leaving. She also didn’t really want to dress for dinner until she had to and she would no be wearing anything Mrs Vaulker had packed. Finally, she really didn’t want to be disturbed, even if the boat was sinking. Once Thaniel had nodded his silent acquiescence, the door had closed and Thaniel was finally alone in the cavernous lounge.. 

He waited for a while, idly walking around the lounge without purpose, feeling his stockinged feet sinking into the deep plush of the carpets as he did so. The whole room seemed unnecessarily cluttered with side tables, lamps and vases placed in every conceivable space despite the obvious danger of going through choppy waters. It was like those who furnished this suite were determined that if the ship were to crash or sink, one needn’t fear drowning as one would have already been brained by a priceless vase.

Thaniel reflected again that he felt even more out of place here than he did when he had arrived at Yoruji. He was then struck by an absolute longing for the simplicity of the shop in Filigree Street and there was a wash of guilty pleasure as he knew it wouldn’t be long until they finally returned. He wanted to go back to his room, next door to Mori’s own, where no one knew or cared which bed they slept in, where now he knew that if he knocked on Mori's door, Mori would be more than happy to see him.

Struck by that thought, Thaniel waded through the carpet to listen at Six’s door. Happily, he could hear the whine of the generator, the clicking of various new and elaborate instruments and Six’s ongoing commentary to a low-hooting noise that Thaniel immediately recognised as Owlbert. Six had insisted that the owl wanted to come back with them and - with the distinct lack of suitable chaperones around to travel back with them, Thaniel had resigned to entrusting his daughter’s virtue to the care of a large eagle owl and a mechanical octopus. After a few minutes of being absolutely satisfied she was lost to her designs and machinations, Thaniel crossed the lounge quietly, let himself through the ornate door opposite and slid noiselessly into the main bedroom, turning the click in the lock.

Mori was still sprawled out on his back, still asleep on the large overstuffed bed of the main bedroom in the suite. He had managed to last through the whole leave-taking ceremony on the dockside, shaking hands, making polite small talk with the assorted dignitaries, avoiding stares and generally being polite and affable, if far quieter than usual. Luckily, Kuroda hadn't attended - most likely licking his wounds - and for that Thaniel was profoundly grateful otherwise he would probably have punched him. Thaniel felt even more protective of Mori now as it was clear that although Mori was clearly happy - he was still disorientated, haunted and drawn from his experiences.

Hence why when the overly enthusiastic Captain of the Ophir had insisted on a full tour of the 'greatest and most opulent ship ever to cross the Pacific', Thaniel had drawn himself up to his full height and broadness, summoned all the superiority and pomposity of Vaulker and - using a passable version of Vaulker's best Eton-Oxbridge accent - insisted that Baron Mori had had a terribly long journey, he needed to retire before dinner and would the stewards kindly bring some refreshment to their rooms? Wonderful.

Six had looked absolutely disgusted at his impression and made to go to hit him but he held up an imperious hand to her as the stewards and Captain departed, practically kowtowing to him in their raft of apologies and kind wishes. Once he had managed to herd them all out of the door, he then closed and locked the double doors to the suite, listened for departing footsteps and breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the handles and pulling his necktie loose.

"You went posh." Six accused him, looking furious, fisting her hands in the skirts of the fussy pinafore. She almost looked tearful as the shock of not only leaving Japan hit her but the final insult of Thaniel pretending to be Vaulker. Thaniel grinned back at her, deliberately exaggerating his features to show her the joke.

"Worked though, didn't it, Petal?" He said, winking and unbuttoning his collar. "They weren't gonna go away if I didn't." She didn't look convinced but she let him pick her up and she examined his features carefully as if seeking out any lingering Vaulker-traces. “I needed them to go away quickly and didn’t think asking nicely would work quick enough.”

"You will never ever do that again.” She looked past him then. “Go look after Mori, he don't look right." She commanded, indicating to the figure behind him. Thaniel nodded and let her wriggle down to go to look out the porthole with her feet dangling off the overly-stuffed damask chair, taking Katsu with her who promptly wrapped around her shoulders. She tugged on the Mrs-Vaulker-enforced gingham ribbon out of her hair and flung it on the floor in disgust.

Thaniel had then turned to the quiet Mori who had managed to slip off his shoes and was simply standing there in his stockinged feet, looking a little lost in the grandeur. He was swaying slowly on his feet with more than just the motions of the ship as it made to depart and his features were pale and wan. He looked like a marionette with it’s strings about to be cut, ready to collapse to the floor.

“Right, you are going to go to bed. No excuses.” Thaniel had said firmly and had been pleasantly surprised when Mori hadn't contradicted him or protested that he was fine, he had simply given him a tired nod and allowed Thaniel to take his arm to gently escort him through to the bedroom, even leaning on him for support. Thaniel thought about sweeping Mori up into his arms but decided a kick to the face wasn't worth it so carried on walking him through to the bedroom. Mori had then stood silently, allowing Thaniel to remove his coat, jacket and braces before letting Thaniel ease him down onto the bed.

Mori hadn’t slept well these last few weeks since his imprisonment. A lifetime of relying on future memory that was now gone had left Mori completely new to the experience of the unexpected and now everything was a surprise. This then combined with his treatment from Kuroda, the constant dosing with drugs and the weeks of experiments had had the resultant effect of his already light sleep being disturbed far more often. Thaniel by now had become quite used to coughing himself awake in the night and needing water but he was now sitting up regularly to find Mori already sat up, simply watching him sleep with a haunted owl-like expression as if he couldn’t quite believe Thaniel was still there next to him.

And Mori did still seem to be occasionally bewildered that Thaniel was still there and with him. In fact, he was increasingly reluctant to let Thaniel be far from him. Before they had left the delegation, both Thaniel and Mori had rarely slept apart. Of course for propriety's sake, they each had rooms off the living room on the first floor but every night one or the other would cross the room - avoiding the creaking floorboard - and climb gratefully into the other's bed simply enjoying the closeness of each other. Mori had lost none of his outward facing poise and gravitas but it was clear that Thaniel was one of his few anchors in this new, unpredictable world.

"Anyone who has known that Keita Mori is clairvoyant has wanted to use it for themselves." He explained to Thaniel one evening as they sat together on a stone bench watching the sunset together, bathed in the rose-gold light. "You don't actually care whether I see futures or not. It's …" he searched for the word. "... Confusing."

Thaniel had looked incredulous.

"Right so I tell you I can't breathe without you and that's confusing?" Thaniel had responded only half-joking. "Maybe next time I should try one knee, flowers and a diamond ring?"

Mori brushed his fingers near Thaniel's and Thaniel brushed back. They were sat far enough away in the legation garden that no one would notice their hands twining together like vines.

"It's a new experience for me, loving and being loved in return." Mori admitted reluctantly, his head tilted just fraction towards Thaniel's shoulder like he wanted nothing more than to lean against it. "But a very much welcome one."

Thaniel shed his waistcoat, collar and cuffs before sitting down on the end of the bed where the dark claret velvet counterpane threatened to swallow him up in a wave of plush. The disturbance on the bed made Mori stir and he came awake all too quickly with a start with that haunted look returning to his eyes and the quickening birdlike pulse all too obvious in his throat. As Mori had said before, not knowing what was going to happen next usually meant he was going to die and that was a hard habit to break.

Thaniel rested his hand on Mori's thin shoulder, keeping him lying down and still with his thumb brushing against Mori's neck.

"Kei." The nickname was a mantra, grounding him instantly and he looked back with rapidly calming dark eyes of inquiry and relief. "We've left the port. We're going home. Six is in her room investigating that ridiculous trunk you got her and the Captain invited us to his table this evening ... Actually, he invited just you but me and Six plan to tag along anyway. I think he assumes I'm your valet."

Mori's breathing slowed to a steady pace and he gave a long-suffering sigh.

"I feel like after that overly-long and unnecessary welcoming we had earlier, I feel we owe him so much more than that." He groaned, rolled onto his side and rubbed his tired eyes. "Tell Six she can bring whatever mechanism and lightbulb she likes to the table and she can bring both Owlbert and Katsu too if she wishes … and if you ever speak like Vaulker again I am pushing you off the top deck."

Thaniel laughed and climbed onto the bed to lie down next to him, barely inches away. Mori's dark eyes bored into his own: they were red-rimmed and dark-circled with tiredness and worry still. Despite Thaniel’s month long mission to feed Mori up and return him to health, his cheekbones were still too pronounced and his features were still drawn. However, his expression was still reminiscent of his usual calm.

"Thaniel. Thank you." Mori said gently, his voice still that warm shade of gold.

"For what?" Thaniel couldn’t help sounding genuinely surprised. "Waking you up?"

"No, not that." Mori said. “Just being here. For being you. For refusing to listen to me and wanting to keep an old broken clairvoyant with you.” 

With that Mori leaned forward and initiated a kiss. It was feather-soft, just a brush of warm lips to warm lips but it was momentous for Thaniel. Apart from their mutual admissions of love at the legation, Mori had never initiated, never expected, never seemed to want but with that one gesture it was clear he wanted very badly. The thought was intoxicating. Thaniel kissed back and held him there in the moment. Mori's fingers came up to rest against the side of Thaniel's throat, feeling his own pulse as if not convinced that Thaniel was living, breathing near him.

“I need you. Like I have never needed anyone before.” Mori said softly. Thaniel felt his cheeks heat with the statement. He pressed his forehead to Mori’s.

“I’m not going anywhere.” he responded. “Just promise me you won’t do anything that stupid again.”

Mori’s laugh was self-deprecating.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." He indicated his head.

Thaniel could help grinning like an idiot at that. Mori was his, wholly his and nothing would change that. He felt like a child who had finally been given a gift they had only been allowed to look at before. On a whim he traced a further, firmer kiss on Mori's own throat, followed by another through his half unbuttoned shirt to his collarbone, leaving a faint pink mark that faded quickly. Mori hummed in pleasure and Thaniel felt suddenly devious. He traced his tongue carefully down the pulse points on Mori's neck and blew gently on the wet skin.

The effect was electric - Mori jumped and shuddered as the sensation of sudden unexpected actions hit him fully. "You can't see anymore." Said Thaniel to his throat, voice low and rumbling with desire. It was a simple statement, stating the obvious but Mori looked somewhere between pleased, unexpectedly aroused and bewildered. 

"It all feels new,” he admitted, his breath staccato. “Before, when I could see, I would know how your body was going to respond and the different futures I could alter to give the best experience. Now I am sure I want … but I am not sure."

Those in Japan who knew what Mori could do had called Mori a shinigami - a death god - and most believed that he was a selfish man, a spider in the centre of a web of his own design and making, waiting to ensnare people and manipulate them into doing his bidding before enabling their deaths when they became inconvenient. Grace Carrow had believed it. The Duke had believed it. Kuroda had desired it. Takiko had known the truth - at least before she had blamed him for Countess Kuroda's death - and Thaniel had known it all along: for all Mori's altering and manipulations, it was always for others and if it was for himself then he could put things in place by himself to make it benefit others too. Now he no longer had that insight or control and was forced to rely on others, take chances and wait for the unexpected.

"What do you want, Kei?" Thaniel asked suddenly, raising Mori's hand and kissing the palm. "Tell me. You are allowed to ask for something."

Mori now looked pained.

"Thaniel Steeplton, I have never asked for a thing in my life, don't expect me to suddenly start now." 

Thaniel laughed at his refusal and dropped further kisses down Mori's arm, which, beneath the snowy cotton of his shirt, still bore those still-healing needle marks. He never thought he would hear Mori sound uncertain. If anything, the man even sounded embarrassed, however his breathing was quicker and his cheeks were flushed with something more than embarrassment. Feeling bold, Thaniel traced another kiss to Mori's shoulder, one on his neck and to his ear, just beneath the lobe.

"You only need to ask. It's called making love, Kei." He murmured, between kisses, this time tracking back towards Mori's throat again. "For us that's outright bloody buggery, sodomy, indecency and everything in-between and usually with a pretty predictable outcome no matter what you do." His lips rested back near Mori's ear. "And you don't need to alter anything anymore, you just show me how you want to feel."

There was a distinct pause. For the first time Thaniel felt like he knew more than Mori. Mori's voice was a soft gold in his ear but his words were like fire in Thaniel’s heart.

"Show me."

They had both restrained themselves since Mori's return. Thaniel mainly through worry for Mori's health and the sheer relief of just having him back at all and Mori was clearly conscious of Thaniel's own injuries and his catching lungs. But most of Mori's reticence seemed to come from his very real fear that now he could no longer see futures, Thaniel - now having seen the worst of him - would leave him. Not having the reassurance of being able to see the futures where he got to keep Thaniel, it had left behind a yawning anxious scar. This had led to both men being increasingly aware of an intimate boundary that had built up between them.

And Thaniel now crossed it willingly.

He moved Mori onto his back and straddled him, running his hands down Mori's slim sides, across his hips and skimmed over his obvious arousal through the cloth of his trousers. Mori raised his arms to rest on the pillow and - for the first time - gave Thaniel full control over him. Thaniel looked up.

"You sure you are okay with this?"

"For goodness sake, Thaniel, this is torture enough not knowing what you are going to do. Do not add to this torture by prolonging it." Mori's voice was crackling with starbursts of irritated copper and his face was more akin to that of a petulant child. "I am not made of glass. I have been waiting for you to do something since the enquiry."

Thaniel didn't make him wait any longer. Skin pressed to skin, warm lips glazed across flushing pulse points. Thaniel removed Mori's remaining clothes like he was unwrapping a treasured gift, exposing him to the air and admiring him. Mori looked amused by the attention and lay back. Thaniel then shrugged out of his own braces and shirt sleeves and unbuttoned his own trousers, sliding them down his legs. He then kissed a line down Mori's torso and moved lower, kissing the inside of Mori's thighs and dipping his head to take Mori into his mouth, hearing the exclamation that was a melody of colour above him as he did so. He looked up and saw Mori's head thrown back on the pillow, eyes closed, looking glorious, younger and more alive than he had looked in months.

Not wanting to break the moment for a second, Thaniel raised his head, lips shining.

"Keita …" he murmured breathless with desire and longing. "If we … if you want … I need …"

"On the shelf." Came Mori's broken gasp and Thaniel noticed out of the corner of his eye the small ornamental glass vial of scented oil they used to use on the small bedside shelf. He inelegantly lunged for it.

"I thought you couldn't see anymore." Thaniel murmured to Mori's inner thigh as he prepared both of them. He bit gently at the soft flesh, leaving a red mark as he curled his fingers within Mori just enough to hear the deep gasp. He wanted to cover Mori in marks just then, just to prove the man was his and his alone.

"I can't. I just hoped." Came the half-choked response above him. "Thaniel, enough teasing ... please."

Thaniel ignored him and continued preparing Mori to the point where the man was uttering sweet musical moans that glimmered crimson as he gripped the counterpane gasping. Thaniel was surprised how much he was now willing to push Mori now and marvelled what difference a declaration could make. Finally, at a noise that sounding more like a begging sob, he withdrew his fingers and positioned himself, sinking into Mori's body like he belonged there.

They moved together gently in almost musical rhythm, enjoying the familiar closeness and intimacy once again but with a new frisson of excitement and emotion from Mori. Every irregular movement and unexpected caress from Thaniel provoked a clench of slim fingers and blunt nails into his back and unexpectedly-strong thighs to clench tighter around his waist. Thaniel felt dizzy with desire and fought to keep himself from crying out. He had never seen Mori so beautifully free and completely undone.

When Mori reached his peak, dark eyes flew wide into perfect dark circles and the perfect golden sound of his exclamation of pleasure sounded like music, his hands gripping Thaniel's arms and blunt nails leaving marks in his flesh. At that glorious sound, Thaniel was then blindsided by his own release, flashes of colours flowing across his vision and gasped his own response of Mori's name over and over as he shuddered against him.

As the SS Ophir rose and fell through the waves heading further and further away from Japan, it's motion seemed to mimic the rising and falling of Thaniel's straining lungs as he fought to catch his breath lying against Mori's chest. He coughed hard and at that uncomfortable reminder, Mori's fingers held him just that little bit tighter as if afraid to break that link between them. Thaniel fought to catch his breath and squeezed back.

"I'm alright." He said fighting to keep his voice level but it was punctuated by another wet cough and the deep shuddering breath was ragged. "What about you? Not gonna bugger off somewhere again and try to get yourself killed, are you? When we get back, I actually get to keep you this time, right? Forever?"

Mori's answering ripple of laughter was like an overture in every shade of precious metal.

"I never planned for anything less."


End file.
